The Trust for Public Land
At the Trust for Public Land, we don't just save land—we save land for people to enjoy, from neighborhood parks to national parks. We depend on the ongoing support of individuals to make sure our work carries on well into the future.
Our mission is to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Every park, playground, and public space we create is an open invitation to explore, wonder, discover, and play. We're proud to say that we've been connecting communities to the outdoors—and to each other—since 1972. Today, millions of Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park or natural area we helped create, and countless more visit every year.
The City Parks, Clean Water Initiative is an approach to stormwater management with social, ecological, and economic benefits. Many heavily urbanized areas experience detrimental impacts from flood events and the resulting stagnant water that has nowhere to drain. Paved surfaces such as parking lots, roads, and industrial complexes retain water and runoff that is often polluted with chemicals, fertilizers, and other waste. Furthermore, lower-income communities are more likely to be at the heart of such areas.
This program targets neighborhoods in which residents cannot access a park within a ten-minute walk. Studies demonstrate that parks within this range boost mental and physical well-being for people of all ages. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is working to ensure that this privilege is afforded to all, regardless of income.
TPL also makes an active and focused effort to connect with communities and fulfill their visions of greenspace in the neighborhood. By helping people understand the political process, TPL is creating an empowered group of residents who can successfully maneuver the bureaucratic landscape and achieve results.
TPL has brought greenspaces with green infrastructure elements to neighborhoods in Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Newark, Birmingham, Fresno, New York City, Philadelphia, and many others. As San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee commented after the implementation of the Boeddeker Park in the Tenderloin, one of the densest San Francisco neighborhoods, “It's not just about the space—it's about the people. It is a tremendous investment in equity.”
Communities of Color
Immigrant Communities
Lower-income Communities
People with Disabilities
Rural
Urban
Youth
Funding and Finance
Planning
Policy Development and Advocacy
Research and Technical Assistance